About Me

Bilingual Roman Catholic priest of the Southern Dominican Province. The "homilettes" on this website are completely the work of Fr. Mele. He may be contacted at cmeleop@yahoo.com.
Telephone: (415) 279-9234.

In the gospel today, we see three groups of people
receiving the good news of Jesus’ birth.
First, the shepherds, who have heard from the angels that a savior is
born, act on the message. They go to
Bethlehem to see the child who is their Lord and King. They also tell others of what has taken place
to fulfill the angelic call to evangelize.
Hopefully we are responding in the same ways – giving homage to Jesus,
the savior, and telling others of how he has benefitted us.

The second group encountered in the passage is the people
said to be “amazed” at what the shepherds tell them. Unfortunately, these hearers of the good news
fail to respond in a significant way. Rather,
like many witnesses of miracles later in the gospel, they dismiss the good news
as only something “interesting.” These resisters
represent the millions who celebrate Christmas with tinsel and brightly-wrapped
presents but avoid the deeper meaning of the feast.

The third group is really just one person. Mary has already acted decisively on the good
news announced to her also by an angel. The
passage today says that she reflects in her heart on the events taking
place. Thus, Mary becomes the model
Christian in whom the word of God has taken firm root and whose fruit is
abundant. We find people like Mary taking
time daily to reflect on the Word of God and then living out what that Word
teaches.

One of America’s favorite movies is all about
Christmas. The movie “It’s a Wonderful
Life” ends with a Christmas scene, but that is almost incidental to its
Christmas theme. More importantly, the
movie relates the message of this season.
It reiterates what today’s gospel and certainly the works under the
title of “John” teach so clearly. The
Word of God came as light in darkness, as good in the midst of evil. The darkness tried its best to quench the
light, but it was finally chased away.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” tells the story of George Bailey who
from childhood cared about others. Things
go well for George through early adulthood.
Then the forces of darkness attack.
They leave George completely disillusioned. He wants to kill himself and is saved only
with help from on high. George is like us
at our best. We want to do good, but
darkness – usually, in our cases, selfishness – blinds our good intentions. We turn inward thinking exclusively about
what seems good for us. We reject
relying on God and continuing to care about others.

Today’s first reading assures us that the light has indeed
come to the world. The gospel passage
names Jesus as that light which dispels the darkness. If he is to defeat the darkness that
surrounds us – our selfishness -- we must stay close to him. We do this by following his commands which are
simple and not burdensome. We must love
God above all and love our neighbor like we love ourselves.

Gospel analysts easily show that the Gospels of Matthew and
Luke have different sources for their accounts of Jesus’ birth. Where Matthew situates Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem
well before Jesus’ birth, Luke has them journeying there from Nazareth. Where Matthew tells of the magi coming to
adore the Lord, Luke pictures shepherds.
And where Matthew writes of the Holy Family in flight to Egypt after the
birth, Luke has them going up to the Temple in Jerusalem. However, these seemingly divergent details
should not provoke doubt. In essential
matters the two evangelists coincide.

First and foremost, Jesus is born to Mary, who remains a
virgin, and to Joseph, who gives him a name and a lineage. Secondly, Jesus is born in Bethlehem and then
goes to live in Nazareth. Finally and
significantly, both infancy accounts include a reference to the passion that Jesus
will eventually endure. In today’s
gospel the reference is more direct and ominous. The Jewish king Herod searches
for the infant Jesus in order to kill him.
Jewish leaders will also conspire in the crucifixion. The oblique
reference to the passion in Luke comes in the midst of Simeon’s prophecy. He says that Jesus will be “a sign that will
be contradicted.”

The Church takes up this connection between the birth and
death of Jesus by celebrating the Feast of the first martyr, St. Stephen, on
the day following Christmas. In
conformity to this tradition we should temper our jubilation at Christmas. We must keep in mind that the mystery of the
Incarnation is but the first step in Jesus’ complete sacrifice of himself to
deliver us from sin and death. Also, the suffering of the innocent martyrs
remembered today should remind us to be ready to suffer with Jesus so that we
might rise with him to glory.

At year’s end people in the United States turn to Time magazine for the unofficial “Person
of the Year.” They believe that history
is determined more by distinctive human beings than by ideas or by events. Whether a political personality, a religious
leader or, as the case this year, a group of individuals, the Person of the
Year has contributed significantly to positive human development. Christians have the same intuition as it celebrates
Christmas. We recognize that God has
saved the world not by a spiritual force but by sending His Son as a
human. Today’s readings span the extension
of the Savior’s earthly sojourn.

The first reading relates that the Son of God had a human
body. People heard his voice, saw his
face, and touched his flesh. He was born,
like the rest of us, of a human mother and experienced the same kinds of joy
and frustration. The gospel assumes that
he died and also, as a sign of his successful mission, that he triumphed over
death with his resurrection. Now, the
readings intimate, we just have to follow in his way to the same resurrected
life.

Both readings are said to be written by St. John. Scholars debate who he was and whether he was
one individual. The arguments are
peripheral. What is essential is his
message. Once again, he proclaimed that
the Son of God came to earth as a human being.
His obedience to his Father’s will was so perfect that the Father grants
to those who associate with him a share in his eternal glory.

Feast of St. Stephen, Proto-martyr

(Acts
6:8-10.7:54-59; Matthew 10:17-22)

This year as we celebrate Christmas with the usual flair,
we should keep in mind the people of Venezuela.
They are undergoing extremely difficult times. The poor in the countryside are dying of
starvation despite the fact that Venezuela is rich with oil. In its desire to control all the goods of the
country, the Venezuelan government has refused capitalist economic reform. The result has been disaster. Many professionals have left the country in
droves and the economy has been on a downward spiral for years. The poor stay behind to suffer. There is a parallel here with today’s feast.

There is no reason to place the martyrdom of St. Stephen
on the day after Christmas other than to remind Christians of the death the
new-born savior will endure. His crucifixion
seems like another case of evil crushing virtue. But his resurrection unleashes the Holy
Spirit to enlighten human hearts. The first
reading tells how Stephen spoke the truth to the promoters of Judaism. Refusing to hear it, they finally murdered
its source. But Stephen’s death starts
Paul on a path to conversion and apostleship.
The persecution which Stephen’s martyrdom sparked likewise moves
Christians out of Jerusalem to evangelize the world. Virtue is vindicated and evil is on the run.

Things should turn around in Venezuela soon. Certainly people of goodwill should not stand
idly by while a government allows its nation’s children to die of hunger. We pray today that reform in Venezuela
happens as soon as possible. We also
live attesting to others about Jesus as Stephen, Paul, and all the apostles
did.

African-American spiritual singers have taken up where
today’s gospel begins. Like the angels
in Bethlehem, they exhort listeners to “go tell it on the mountain that Jesus
Christ is born.” We, like the shepherds after seeing the infant Jesus, are to
make known the message that has been told us - salvation in Jesus’ name.

As the Letter to Titus read today expresses, he has saved
all of us through the bath of rebirth.
This experience is nothing less than incorporation into his body, the
Church. We are reborn in ever new, ever
strong flesh to love the invisible God in our neighbors. Doing so brings the unimaginable joy of
eternal life with our heavenly Father.

Often enough African-Americans who have weathered many
years faithful to the Savior demonstrate the spirit of this rebirth. I remember the elderly women who washed
clothes in our house of formation. They were
almost always upbeat and gracious. More
importantly, they were dependable for prayers to see us through the trials of
introspection and scrutiny.

One is hard-pressed to find a relationship between the
reading and the gospel today. It might
be asked: “What does the account of Hannah’s delivering her son into the Lord’s
service have in common with Mary’s praise of the Lord?” The answer may be found in a more extensive
reading of the First Book of Samuel. After
dedicating her son to the Lord, Hannah utters a discourse much like Mary’s hymn
of praise to God in the gospel. Hannah too
tells of the mighty being humbled, the well-fed searching for bread, and the
poor being lifted up.

Nevertheless, Mary goes further than her Old Testament
counterpart in praising the Lord. She anticipates
the preaching of her son by saying how God has already blessed her, His “lowly
servant.” In Luke’s gospel Jesus continually reiterates the message of the
world’s order being turned upside down with the coming of the Kingdom. He tells of the wealthy being humbled and the
poor being elevated, oppressors being silenced while the suffering are relieved. Mary says something similar but pertinent to
her situation. God has shown favor to
her by making her the bearer of His son.
Furthermore, he is rescuing Israel by sending His Son as the nation’s
savior.

Mary is doing the work of a preacher who brings to life
God’s word in present circumstances. It
is not enough for a homilist to retell the gospel; he or she must apply it to
contemporary times if listeners are to find hope in meeting present
challenges. Similarly, we should share
with others how we have found Christ’s message resonating in our lives. For example, the marginalized are being given
priority when refugee families are assisted in finding housing and work in our
communities.

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your
faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.” If we don’t pray this prayer every day, we
are likely missing out on many blessings.
The Spirit’s thrust is vividly seen in today’s gospel.

In the previous passage Mary received the Holy
Spirit. She was overshadowed by God’s
life-giving love to accept His Son in her womb.
She also was moved to visit her relative Elizabeth who may need assistance
with her improbable pregnancy. When Mary
arrives at Elizabeth’s door, the Spirit acts visibly again. The elderly woman blesses her visitor while the
fetus within her jumps for joy. The blessing
not only gives Mary due praise, it also bestows on her a new identity. She is “the mother of (our) Lord.”

The Spirit is palpably active among us at
Christmas. It inspires us to remember
the many blessings we have received through the years. It moves us to reflect on the mystery of God’s
love being retold once again. It sends
us out to those in need.

A lovely collect prayer was said to be used in the
Byzantine mass on Christmas. Directed to
Jesus, the prayer asks the Savior what the people might give him for his
birth. The prayer then suggests the
perfect gift -- a mother, a pure and holy mother. Today’s gospel reading shows the fittingness
of that gift.

The gospel contrasts Mary to Zechariah to whom the same
angel announced the birth of a son. Where Zechariah is incredulous about the
announcement, Mary only shows interest. Because
Zechariah’s wife is beyond child-bearing years, he requests a sign to assure
the credibility of the angel’s statement.
Mary only asks how her even more miraculous virgin-birth could take
place probably because she needs to know what she has to do to make it happen. Wonderfully she is given a sign verifying what
the angel has told her. Her relative
Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, is bearing a son in her old age. Then Mary makes explicit her submission to
God’s will. “…I am the handmaiden of the Lord,” she tells the angel, “Be it
done to me according to your word.”

Mary is indeed our representative gift to the Christ-child. We strive to be like her in both sinlessness
and devotion. We set our sights on
following God’s will in all that we say and do.
Especially when this road turns uphill, we pray to Him for assistance.

We feel for couples who want to have children but remain
barren. Often they seem to be the most
virtuous of people – she, gentle and caring; he, responsible and
understanding. Raising offspring like
themselves would not only fulfill the couple’s desire but would also give hope
to their neighbors for a nobler society.
Why, we ask, does God not grant them their continual prayer for a
family?

Children, however, are not human property but belong to
God. They are born to serve His design
for a more just creation. In both
readings today God grants the barren couples a son to further His purpose of
preparing for the coming of Christ.
Manoah and his wife will give birth to Samson who will defeat the
enemies of the Israelites among whom Jesus will be born. Zechariah and Elizabeth will give birth to
John who will announce that the Lord is at hand. Does God take pity on these pious couples
because they pray to Him?

Yes, we can be sure of that.
But we should not see their having children as God’s only answer to
their prayers. It is wiser to see Jesus
as God’s response to all our prayers whether for children, a new job, or healing
of disease. He is the gift which makes
life worthwhile. He is our personal
savior, who will yank us beyond death into eternal life. He is also the model of justice and prudence
which guide all earth’s peoples to peaceful coexistence. Finally, he is the goal of the evolving
universe who will bring heaven and earth together in harmony.

The elderly person had become wise. She wanted to confess again the worst sins of
her life along with a few current venial ones.
She mentioned the sins specifically and by number. She knew that her time was limited -- perhaps
months, not likely many years. She was
preparing to meet the Lord. The gospel
today tells us that accepting people like her is exactly Jesus’ mission.

In the first reading Jeremiah says that God will
establish a righteous king who will call Israel from their exile. The prophet has Babylon in mind, but the name
of that city should be taken as a metaphor for all iniquity and sin. Jeremiah is saying that the king will bring
justification to God’s people for their sins so that they may re-enter the
Promised Land. Matthew in turn describes
the son of Mary, whom Joseph shall raise, as that righteous king. The son will have a royal lineage through
Joseph. His very name Jesus meaning the Lord Saves will reveal his mission of saving his subjects from the
deadliness of their sins.

We celebrate Jesus’s birth to remind ourselves that he
has come to take away our sins. This is
not a matter of “one size fits all.” We
must recognize the wrong that we have done and ask God’s mercy. But this is all that we do along with having a
firm intention not to sin again. He will
do the rest for us. As king Jesus has
the power to make our eternal glory a reality.

Metanoia is the
Greek word for repentance. It literally means a change of mind. Of course, metanoia is the great theme of Lent. Nevertheless, both readings today convey the
idea.

The reading from Isaiah promises abundance if the people
would only follow the Lord’s commandments.
God will give them plenty, it
says, but they have to obey His law.
Jesus sounds exasperated because the people always find a way to avoid
the ways of righteousness. His reference
to John the Baptist’s ascetic lifestyle should be heard as a metaphor for John’s
preaching “fire and brimstone.” But the
people ignored John anyway. Jesus has presented
the call to repentance in an opposing way.
His “eating and drinking” should be taken as proclaiming God’s goodness
to those who turn to Him. By suggesting God’s
graciousness, Jesus echoes Isaiah in the first reading. The people, however, still do not care.

The Christmas season serves as a testing ground for our
repentance. As everyone knows, it is the
most materialistic time of the year. If
we have repented of the world’s ways, we will not desire to either receive or
give luxurious gifts. Our aim will be to
welcome the Lord by showing kindness and joy to all.

We want to believe that every bad experience we have will
work out for the good.If we suffer
chronic pain, we want to believe that our trial builds up a spiritual
depository of grace to help others.If
we have setbacks in our careers, we want to believe that we are being taught
patience.If a loved one dies, we want
to believe that the person is better off with God.But sometimes such tenets of faith seem illusory.Sometimes it seems that we are just kidding
ourselves.Today’s patron saint, John of
the Cross, coined the phrase “dark night of the soul” to describe this dismal condition
of soul.

Some of the Jews in Babylon no doubt experienced exile as
a “dark night.”They could no longer live
the law without being derided by their native neighbors.One psalm shows them being bullied to sing
happy songs from Israel.Perhaps John
the Baptist had a like disillusionment.Imprisoned, he may have seen his own days coming to an abrupt end.So he sent his disciples to Jesus asking if
he might possibly be the prophet whom he was supposed to foreshadow.It was a last ditch effort to make sense of
his ascetic and now doomed public life. In today’s gospel Jesus gives part of
his answer to John’s query.

He says that it is odd that God’s Kingdom of love suffers
so much violence.Nevertheless, he
indicates, the tide has turned with his coming.Those who know him have already experienced God’s mercy.John and the rest of us in our lowest moments
have to hold on and trust.This is what Advent
hope is all about.In the year’s darkest
days (in the Northern Hemisphere) we do not yield to the cold night but hang on
and wait for God’s glory to shine.

Most of the people who started Christmas shopping early
probably feel fatigued these days. There
are so many people to please and so many options to consider that shoppers are
bound to grow weary. Purchasing gifts
on-line has eased the burden. Of course,
buying gifts cards is a simple way out of the hustle. Jesus in the gospel today proposes another solution.

He tells the people not to worry. Their concerns about pleasing one another, even
about procuring the necessities of life will be taken care of by relying on
him. “Take my yoke upon you,” he says,
“and learn from me.” His yoke is the law
of love – to love God above all and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Sharing joy with both God and neighbor – and
not trying to ingratiate oneself with others by bestowing gifts – results in a
peaceful heart.

Christmas shopping has become a mania that jeopardizes
the meaning of Christmas. Black Friday
has come to garner more interest than Good Friday. But Jesus did not come to supplement our
wardrobes, much less to jumpstart the economy.
He came to free us from selfishness which inhibits our going out to
others in joy.

When Pope Francis travels abroad, he usually goes to the
poorest countries or spends much time in the poorest parts of the country he is
visiting. Last week he went to Myanmar and
Bangladesh, two of the most problematic nations on earth. Next month when he visits Peru, Francis will
travel to the remote Amazon region where the indigenous are struggling for
survival. He evidently chooses to visit
marginalized populations for the same reason that the Lord goes to Jerusalem in
today’s first reading.

Zion or Jerusalem at the time of the prophet Zechariah is
a shadow of what it was in the days of David and Solomon. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians and
now is trying to rebuild itself without much success. But God is coming to aid the effort. He will make the city once again a place of
international significance. People from
all over the world will travel there to give praise to the same God.

We can understand the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe in a
similar way. She is God’s special envoy
dispatched to the indigenous of Mexico. They
have been defeated by the Spanish and find themselves being diminished by
plague and subjugation. Mary’s semblance as well as her dress is much like
their own. They can feel the pride of blessing
with her gracious presence. Undoubtedly they
feel much like Elizabeth in the gospel proclaiming, “’And how does this happen
to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” Mary’s response provides the reason. God takes pity on the poor and lifts up the
lowly.

Monday of the Second Week of Advent

(Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 5:17-26)

Once a man invited family and friends to his home for a party. No liquor was served, but a hearty meal was eaten. Prayers were also said in thanksgiving. The party celebrated the man’s sobriety. Fifteen years to the day he had given up
drinking.

Of course, drinking is not bad in itself. Nor can alcoholics be blamed for every drink they
take. As Alcoholics Anonymous teaches,
compulsive drinking is a disease that diminishes moral responsibility. But at some point alcoholics must account for
their actions while intoxicated. When they
repeatedly do careless work and act abusively at home after drinking, they must
either stop or recognize their sin. Then
their abstaining from drink becomes the source of complete healing.

In the gospel Jesus forgives the sin of the paralytic as the first step toward
total healing. As Jesus suggests, his saving
of the man’s soul is a greater claim to his being the Messiah than his healing of
the man’s lameness. But to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah in the
first reading, Jesus makes the lame man “leap like a stag.”

Jesus comes to save all of us from our
sins. He brings forgiveness when we
repent our wrongdoing. As we turn away
from our vices – whether obvious ones like drinking too much or more subtle
ones like looking at others as objects of desire – Jesus will provide us the
grace to live gracious and loving lives.

Sin has been in the news a lot lately. Not just the crimes that typically make the
headlines, but the kinds that most people think of when they hear the
word. A Hollywood producer has been
accused of multiple sex offenses, so have politicians, and entertainers. One hopes that the revelations will lead to a
widespread cleanup in the media as well as in people’s personal lives. Today’s feast could serve as a prescription
for the reform.

Mary’s Immaculate Conception looks forward to Christ’s
saving work on behalf of all humankind. The
first reading intimates the problem.
Adam and Eve’s sin unleashed on the world a tempest of sexual desire
that has never abated. The couple pants
for and, at the same time, is ready to betray one another. Their descendants through the ages will inherit
these conflicting passions. But the hope
for peace is not extinguished. God sends
His angel to Mary whom He has prepared to mother a savior. Her willingness to accept the responsibility
sets in motion the world’s redemption.
Mary’s son Jesus will atone for sin so that humans can, as noted in the second
reading, become “holy and without blemish.”

For our part we must keep sexual desires properly directed. This means strict control of Internet sites
and general avoidance of lust. More than
that, we call on Christ to cleanse our eyes to see every person as a sister or
brother. He remains are last, best hope.

St. Ambrose was the Roman governor of the region around
Milan before he became bishop of the city.
Although he had not even been baptized when elected bishop, he did have
a fine sense of theology. At least, he
knew that the teaching of the Arians was mistaken. The Arians believed that Christ was not
God. Such an idea not only runs contrary
to much of the New Testament, it also compromises the efficacy of Baptism. Ambrose was quickly baptized and ordained
priest and bishop. He continued to
defend the teaching of the Council of
Nicea and the Church of Rome that Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word of God,
equal with the Father and Holy Spirit.

Today’s first reading speaks of a strong city that keeps faith. Milan under the tutelage of St. Ambrose exemplifies
this kind of city. The gospel compares Jesus’ words with a house built on
rock. By teaching Trinitarian doctrine, Ambrose
was able to strengthen the foundation of biblical faith in his people.

The crisis produced by the Arian heresy is associated
with the great feast that we are now anticipating. On the twenty-fifth of the month we will
celebrate the birth of the God-human. It
is nothing other than a mystery which invokes our attention and
meditation. Considering St. Ambrose, a
great defender of the doctrine, should help us be more attentive to its meaning
for us.

Last week Pope Francis met with local leaders of the Buddhist,
Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Christian faith traditions in Myanmar. Each leader had
an opportunity to express his hopes for the dialogue. Pope Francis said that the meeting demonstrated
unity in diversity and that the diverse traditions should learn from one
another. He added that all are brothers
with the same Father. The meeting
reflects the hope of today’s first reading and its fulfilment in the second.

The vision of the prophet Isaiah of a heavenly banquet features
the coming together of all peoples. It
remarks that the veils that prevent both individuals and nations from seeing
the goodness of others are now lifted. Everyone
can enjoy the richness of foods from other cultures. Jesus fulfills this vision. He heals different types of debilities. He feeds all present, who likely include
non-Jewish Greeks. The fact that there
are seven baskets of left-overs indicates that the food is plentiful and
everyone is content.

Advent reminds us that Jesus is close-by. He is bringing us together with other kinds
of people and will satisfy all our just desires. To have full advantage of Jesus’ offer we need
to recognize our need for him. Then we
must turn to others, whatever their faith or nation, as brothers and sisters.

A woman once described how she could no longer watch nature films
on television. Viewing the drama of a
killer whale chasing a smaller whale and her calf left her permanently disgusted. She said that the film crew followed the
predator stalking mother and calf for hundreds of miles. Then it recorded the killer whale separating
the two before making its kill. The visual
experience was so jarring that the woman now dreads the sight of animals
preying on one another.

We may think that original sin has caused alienation between
humans and God and among other humans, but the transgression has even wider
effect. The sin of Adam and Eve is said
to have imperiled relationships among animals as well and, really, among all beings
of creation. For this reason Paul writes
the church in Rome, “...creation waits with eager expectation the revelation of
the children of God” (Rom 8:19).

In the first reading the prophet Isaiah strikingly
illustrates how the alienation is about to end.
A ruler shall come from the line of King David who will restore original
justice. He will cast out evil and lift
up the oppressed. His actions will teach
everyone fear of the Lord, the lack of which characterizes the present state of
universal victimization. Proof of the
new reign of justice will be found when the most vicious of animals fraternize
with the most defenseless. We see this
prophecy’s fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
As today's gospel indicates, he brings knowledge of God the Father to all
who care to listen. He humbles the
arrogant and lifts up the lowly. With
his expected return in glory soon, peace will reign everywhere.

At the end of World War II the British air force almost
completely destroyed a German city.
There was, however, a Catholic church with a tall steeple still standing. The pastor of the church looking from the
steeple saw a single bomber flying near. He thought that the plane would target
the church and quickly evacuated the premises.
Sure enough, the church was bombed but the priest saved his life.

War is terrible. It
destroys the spirit as well as the body. It is dismissive to physical
structures, no matter their value or significance. For this reason Isaiah in today’s first
readings looks toward war’s end. He foresees
the time when peace will reign perpetually on the earth. Then, all nations will come to Jerusalem to
learn God’s righteous ways. To hasten
the coming of that time, Isaiah says, Jews have to walk in God’s ways today.

During Advent we Christians take to heart Isaiah’s
message. We express aloud our yearning for
lasting peace and strive to purify our lives of hatred. But we realize that eternal peace is not in
the end our doing. We have a part to
play for sure, but Christ is the one who is to transform our world. He will turn the tables on the hostile and
promote clean-hearted. We raise our
heads along with our hopes for his coming.